Appeal for trustees to support work of children’s hospice in Shropshire

The board of trustees plays a vital role in making sure the charity is run in the best interests of the children and families it supports, sets the strategic direction, manages performance and has overall responsibility for the governance of the organisation.

The charity, which has two hospices, Hope House in Oswestry and Ty Gobaith in Conwy, is currently looking for a clinical trustee and a human resources trustee.

Supriya Kapas, who joined as a clinical trustee in April 2021, is a pharmacist who leads on quality assurance matters for the cell therapies facility at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Oswestry.

“I would advise anyone thinking about applying to become a trustee to do it and throw themselves into it,” she said.

“The role does demand a time commitment; it’s important to attend regular meetings and read all the papers to be able to give constructive feedback and make informed decisions. Being a trustee means being in a position of responsibility, but don’t be daunted by this. Hope House Children’s Hospices is a fantastic organisation and training is provided for trustees. You can do it at any age. I do regret I didn’t do this sooner.”

Steve Henley, chair of trustees at the charity said: “Being a trustee can be an extremely rewarding and worthwhile experience. We need people who bring skills from many walks of life and offer diverse ways of thinking.

“Currently, we are especially looking for trustees who have a clinical background (including doctors, senior nurses and senior clinical therapists) and those with expertise in the field of human resources. We’re keen to hear from people of all backgrounds who can help bring a diversity of thought and ideas to our board through their individual life experience, cultural background, skills and expertise.”

Anyone able to dedicate time to the work of the trustee board should visit hopehouse.org.uk/trustee-opportunities to learn more.